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Jurgen Freund
Great Barrier Reef: Third Place, Best Overall Destination (1 of 3)
If you associate neon hues with dentists’ fish tanks, your first view of the giant clams and branching corals on the Great Barrier Reef might not seem real. But in just a few dives, you’ll see these psychedelic shades are only the beginning of why the landmark — jumping to No. 3 on our readers’ list — is legendary. You’ve also got a scale of residents that will frustrate any photographer choosing between lenses: Opt for the wide angle in June, July and August when visiting bommies frequented by minke whales. Yearround at Cod Hole, swim with potato cod so unafraid of strangers that they make your average New Yorker seem milquetoast. In the midrange, expect volume, with fleets of bumphead parrotfish, Moorish idols and sweetlips. Prefer a tighter focus? Snap on a macro lens to capture the Nemos and menagerie of banana-, tomato- and lime-colored nudibranchs. After a week of diving here, you’ll realize this is just the sort of place that caters to those who don’t favor one kind of critter but want to see it all. — Brooke MortonHome to idyllic tropical fantasies, some of the world’s most famous dives and the very heart of marine biodiversity, the Pacific and Indian oceans offer experiences of a lifetime.
Best Wall Diving
1. Palau
2. Papau New Guinnea
3. Indonesia
4. Red Sea
5. Fiji
Best Overall Destination
1. Palau
2. Fiji
3. Great Barrier Reef
4. Indonesia
5. Hawaii
Best Macro Diving
1. Indonesia
2. Philippines
3. Papau New Guinea
4. Palau
5. Malaysia
Best Wreck Diving
1. Chuuk
2. Palau
3. Solomon Islands
4. Tie - Bali and Queensland
Best Value of Diving Dollar
1. Philippines
2. Palau
3. Malaysia
4. Indonesia
5. Thailand
Best Advanced Diving
1. Palau
2. Fiji
3. Red Sea
4. Indonesia
5. Galapagos
Best Underwater Photography
1. Fiji
2. Tie - Maldives and Palau
4. Philippines
5. Red Sea
Best Big Animals
1. Palau
2. Maldives
3. Tie - Galapagos and Mexico
5. French Polynesia
Best Shore Diving
1. Hawaii
2. Red Sea
3. Solomon Islands
4. Malaysia
5. Indonesia
Best Marine Environment
1. Palau
2. Fiji
3. Maldives
4. Australia
5. Red Sea
Best Overall Diving
1. Palau
2. Indonesia
3. Philippines
4. Maldives
5. Great Barrier Reef
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